There's a lot of swapping going on in the NFL. Folks are speculating on the choice Peyton Manning will make. Some say he will choose the Broncos and the Tebow fans are going to be upset if Manning does select the Denver Broncos. Do you wonder why folks have not said much about Peyton Manning coming to Oakland? The cost is probably the factor that prohibits that type of speculation.

One thing that is impressive is that Manning was the top passer for nine consecutive years when he was with the Colts. Also, the Colts made the playoffs for nine consecutive years.

Hypothetically, if the timing was different then Manning would have been a better choice than Palmer, if you look at the data.

Back to Reality

When Hue Jackson and others chose Carson Palmer, I assumed that the Bengals had historically dominated the Oakland Raiders. This is not the case because the head-to-head data is 18-8 with the Oakland Raiders dominating by 10 games in this category.

Of course, you know that the Bengals and Raiders tend to compete against each other every three years. Here is the data and the Raiders have won two out of three of those recent games.

If a former Oakland Raiders head coach works for an opponent, it could make the Raiders vulnerable, unless the play-calling is changed dramatically.

YesNoMaybeSubmit Votevote to see results

If a former Oakland Raiders head coach works for an opponent, it could make the Raiders vulnerable, unless the play-calling is changed dramatically.

Yes

51.2%

No

28.9%

Maybe

19.8%

Total votes: 1,179

Raiders dominate the head-to-head with an 18-8 record.

2003: Win, 23-20 2006: Loss, 27-102009: Win, 20-17

Curiosity causes some folks to do research. So, after surveying the data from 2002 to 2011, it was discovered that the Raiders looked better than the Bengals in 2010. In 2011, the Bengals did better in overall wins by only one game, with a 9-7 record.

It seems like the choice of replacing Jason Campbell with Carson Palmer had more to do with the capability of Palmer, rather than the historical performance between the Bengals and the Raiders.

On the other side of the coin, a researcher can feel comfortable with the Bengals' decision to obtain the fired Oakland Raiders head coach, Hue Jackson. Jackson's performance in some categories as a head coach is a basis to believe that Jackson can help the Bengals.

If Jackson learned a few trade secrets from his two years with the Oakland Raiders, he just may share some of those secrets to help the Bengals become a better competitor against the Oakland Raiders the next time they encounter each other.

Early Alert to Change Strategies and Strengthen the Raiders

2002 through 2011 data for total wins for each season

No one can forget the reason some believe the the Raiders lost an important game in the past when their former head coach became the head coach for one of their opponents. Many folks say that the Oakland Raiders failed to change their strategies. This factor might come into play again if the Oakland Raiders don't change some of their offensive strategies.

Jackson knows a lot about the Oakland Raiders. His abrupt termination just might fuel a fire for him to be determined to help the Bengals become strong enough to defeat the Oakland Raiders in their next encounter.

Of course, many of us like the fact that Dennis Allen and Reggie McKenzie have made some drastic changes in the team. This will help to veil any trade secrets Jackson may have and may try to use against the team.

Since the Bengals know some of the strengths and weaknesses of Carson Palmer and since Hue Jackson also knows those strengths and weaknesses, the best thing for the Oakland Raiders to do is to strengthen the defense.

Basically, all of this swapping can make teams vulnerable, unless the coaches come up with new permutations of plays and strategies to confound opponents.

The advice to the Raider nation is that there should be no fear, the Oakland Raiders are going to confound their opponents, and the media will be surprised.

One thing is certain: There is a lot of swapping going on with the Oakland Raiders and in the NFL, in general.